Chestnut Mushroom Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a paring knife, make an incision in each chestnut about 1/8-inch deep through the shell and into the flesh, cutting almost all the way around nut. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until chestnuts are tender when pierced with the paring knife, about 35 minutes. Turn off oven. Leaving sheet in oven, remove several chestnuts at a time. Working quickly, place each chestnut in a kitchen towel, and remove and discard shell and inner skin.
• Roughly chop all but 2 cremini and 2 shiitake mushrooms. Heat 1 tablespoon butter with olive oil in a small stockpot over medium-high heat. Add chopped mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper. Cook mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown, about 5 minutes. Add onion, garlic, and thyme sprigs. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Add all but 4 peeled chestnuts, and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Add stock and the water, raise heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until chestnuts are falling-apart tender, about 1 hour. Remove and discard thyme sprigs, and let soup cool slightly.
• Pass soup through a fine sieve into a bowl; transfer solids in batches to a food processor or blender, and puree until completely smooth. Add strained liquid, and process 1 minute. Return soup to stockpot, and season with salt and pepper.
• Cut the remaining 4 chestnuts and 4 mushrooms into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Melt remaining tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Saute sliced chestnuts and mushrooms until crisp and golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Just before serving, heat soup over low. Stir in cream, and remove from heat. Ladle soup into shallow bowls; garnish with sauteed chestnuts and mushrooms and the thyme leaves.

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, and leek. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened. Deglaze with brandy, if using, or 3 tablespoons warm water (pour in the liquor or water and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon).
• If you are using vacuum-packed or jarred chestnuts, pat them dry with paper towels. Add the chestnuts to the pot and cook for 4 minutes, stirring gently from time to time, until the chestnuts are lightly golden.
• Reserve two mushrooms for garnish. Slice the remaining mushrooms and add them to the pot. Add the chilli powder if desired. Pour in the stock and season with salt. Bring to a simmer, cover, lower the heat to medium-low, and cook for 20-30 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
• Let the soup cool for a few minutes. Puree the soup using an immersion blender, until the soup is smooth with just a few remaining chunks. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, taste, and adjust the seasoning. (The soup can be made a day ahead up to this point). Reheat and ladle into bowls. Cut the reserved mushrooms in slices, and chop the parsley leaves roughly. Plop a mushroom slice on the surface of each bowl, sprinkle with parsley and a touch of freshly ground pepper, and serve.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Put the fennel halves, cut-side up, in a baking dish and drizzle with enough olive oil to come up half-way; season with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes or until completely tender - the roasted fennel is the base of the soup, so it's important the flesh is soft enough to be cut with a spoon. Reserve until ready to serve.
• In a large pot, melt the butter over medium flame, add the onion and garlic, and saute for 4 minutes until translucent. Toss the thyme into the pan, along with the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the mushrooms give off their liquid. Add the chestnuts and cook for a few more minutes until they have some nice color on them. Remove about 1 cup of the mixture to save as a garnish for the soup.
• Pour the stock into the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring now and then. Remove from the heat and puree the soup until completely smooth, using a handheld or regular blender. Stir in the cream to make the soup even richer, and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper.
• To serve: Ladle the soup into soup bowls; garnish each serving with a bit of the reserved mushrooms and chestnuts, a roasted fennel half, and a sprinkle of chopped chives.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Using a chestnut knife or a small paring knife, make an incision about 1/8 inch deep through the shell and into the flesh of each chestnut almost all the way around the circumference. Transfer to a chestnut pan or rimmed baking pan. Roast in the oven until the chestnuts are tender, about 35 minutes. Turn the oven off. Leaving the pan with the chestnuts in the oven, remove several at a time. Working quickly, place 1 chestnut in a towel, and, holding both, peel the chestnut while still hot. Remove and discard the shells and inner skin; set aside.
• Roughly chop all but 2 cremini and 2 shiitake mushrooms. Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter with the olive oil in a small stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper. Cook the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, and thyme sprigs. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Add all but 4 chestnuts, and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and water, raise heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until the chestnuts are falling-apart tender, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs, and let stand about 10 minutes.
• Let the soup cool slightly. Pass the soup through a sieve, and transfer the solids, reserving the liquid, to a food processor or blender. Puree, in batches, until very smooth. Add the reserved liquid, and process for 1 minute. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary. Transfer to the stockpot, stir in the cream, and place over low heat until hot.
• Cut the 4 reserved chestnuts and the 4 reserved mushrooms into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Melt the remaining tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chestnuts and mushrooms, and cook until crisp and golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Divide the soup among soup bowls, and garnish with sautéed chestnuts, mushrooms, and thyme leaves.

Steps:

• Combine porcini mushrooms and 3 cups hot water in medium bowl. Let stand until porcini mushrooms soften, about 15 minutes.
• Using slotted spoon, transfer porcini mushrooms to heavy large saucepan. Add porcini soaking liquid to saucepan, leaving any sediment behind in bowl. Add vegetable stock and chestnuts to same saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes to blend flavors. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to saucepan. Add cream and 1 tablespoon Sherry. Bring soup to simmer. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before continuing.)
• Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallots, carrot and rutabaga; sauté until tender and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon Sherry. Season with salt and pepper.
• Ladle soup into bowls. Top with vegetables and serve.
• *Porcini mushrooms are available at Italian markets, specialty foods stores and many supermarkets nationwide.